Let’s Talk Science Welcomes David Lapides as new Vice President, Programs
This summer Let’s Talk Science welcomed David Lapides as Vice President of Programs. In this new position in the organization David will lead the teams responsible for the design, development and delivery of programs and services for Preschool to Grade 12 educators and their students. This includes IdeaPark, TomatosphereTM, CurioCity, Let’s Talk Science Outreach and the Let’s Talk Science Challenge, along with their French counterparts.
“We are pleased to have David join our team,” says Bonnie Schmidt, President and Founder of Let’s Talk Science. “His deep experience in education and technology will enrich all aspects of our programming for educators and youth across Canada. We are committed to expanding our hands-on practical classroom resources, workshops and professional learning sessions that will enhance youth skill development through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning.”
A former educator, David held various senior management roles with Calgary-based SMART Technologies, a global leader in collaborative learning technology. In these roles David worked with educators across Canada and around the world to transform teaching practice and improve learning outcomes, especially in STEM subject areas.
“STEM learning is a priority for youth development in many countries,” says David. “Canada has an opportunity to play an even bigger role on the global stage by preparing our young learners for exciting careers where creativity and innovation are essential to their success. Let’s Talk Science is a strong voice for the changes in teaching and learning that will enable Canadian youth to take full advantage of the exciting careers that await them.”
Prior to SMART, David held several university teaching and research positions, as well as leadership roles in high-growth education technology companies such as ExploreLearning.com. He has also worked as an active speaker and adviser for organizations that provide technology-enabled resources for teaching and learning.
“Let’s Talk Science has already established a wonderful network of volunteers and engaged educators across Canada,” David says. “I look forward to leading the team in growing our programs to the next level of reach, scale and sustainability.”
David is looking forward to hearing from educators who use Let’s Talk Science programs to learn how we can increasingly provide quality customer service to classrooms across Canada. Stay tuned for reoccurring TechEd articles in our newsfeed where David will look at the trends in the education industry, and comment on how Canadian educators can incorporate Let’s Talk Science STEM based materials into their classroom.